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CX3C chemokine signalling in the olfactory epithelium and its role in the self regeneration of the olfactory system. The current proposal will explore new venues in adult neural stem cell research and contribute to the further development of molecular biology and neuroscience research in Western Australia and Australia. The use of neural stem cells holds therapeutic promise for the treatment of a wide variety of neurological conditions, including neurotrauma and stroke. The proposed research wil ....CX3C chemokine signalling in the olfactory epithelium and its role in the self regeneration of the olfactory system. The current proposal will explore new venues in adult neural stem cell research and contribute to the further development of molecular biology and neuroscience research in Western Australia and Australia. The use of neural stem cells holds therapeutic promise for the treatment of a wide variety of neurological conditions, including neurotrauma and stroke. The proposed research will provide new data on the fundamental cellular and molecular events that are required to trigger the birth, differentiation and conditions for growth of new neurons in the adult nervous system. The generation of such insights will be critical for any translational research.
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Aquatic eye design: sharks and rays as models of underwater colour and luminance vision. Sharks are usually assumed to be colour blind. We have discovered that they may in fact see colour very well and that the eyes of different species are adapted to their particular lifestyles. Our research will help to raise the profile of sharks and portray them as animals with advanced sensory systems and complex visual behaviours rather than just dangerous killing machines. Studying the vision of sharks m ....Aquatic eye design: sharks and rays as models of underwater colour and luminance vision. Sharks are usually assumed to be colour blind. We have discovered that they may in fact see colour very well and that the eyes of different species are adapted to their particular lifestyles. Our research will help to raise the profile of sharks and portray them as animals with advanced sensory systems and complex visual behaviours rather than just dangerous killing machines. Studying the vision of sharks may also help to reduce the number (currently >50,000) that are killed each year as bycatch by Australian long-line fisheries and make a valuable contribution to one of Australia's National Research Priorities (an Environmentally Sustainable Australia) for managing and conserving our biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Origin of animal sensory and nervous systems: a case study in cell type evolution. The origin of the nerve cell and the nervous system allowed the first animals to interact with their biotic and abiotic environment in rapid and complex ways. These capabilities are the primary agents for success in the animal kingdom, underpinning the ability to capture food, avoid predation, and find a mate. These same nerve cells have bestowed on the human brain cognitive abilities that have driven our biologic ....Origin of animal sensory and nervous systems: a case study in cell type evolution. The origin of the nerve cell and the nervous system allowed the first animals to interact with their biotic and abiotic environment in rapid and complex ways. These capabilities are the primary agents for success in the animal kingdom, underpinning the ability to capture food, avoid predation, and find a mate. These same nerve cells have bestowed on the human brain cognitive abilities that have driven our biological and cultural evolution. Despite the phenomenal importance of the nerve cell, we know almost nothing about its origin and early evolution. This basic research project seeks to make a major contribution towards addressing this gap in knowledge.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354793
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
A Neural Network: Understanding Brain Function. This proposal focuses on the mechanisms that regulate brain function, particularly those underpinning the changes in circuitry (plasticity) caused by altered inputs. As such, its core goal is to create an interface between researchers in the neurosciences, computational modelling, robotics and cognitive sciences in order to facilitate optimum collaborative interactions, identify key research questions and promote training opportunities across a mul ....A Neural Network: Understanding Brain Function. This proposal focuses on the mechanisms that regulate brain function, particularly those underpinning the changes in circuitry (plasticity) caused by altered inputs. As such, its core goal is to create an interface between researchers in the neurosciences, computational modelling, robotics and cognitive sciences in order to facilitate optimum collaborative interactions, identify key research questions and promote training opportunities across a multidisciplinary spectrum. This will drive an integrated and accelerated program of discovery and technological development, enhancing Australia's leadership in this crucial field and helping to highlight new biotechnology opportunities and capture social and economic benefits for the nation. Read moreRead less
The evolution of periodic ventilation in insects. The primary outcome of this research initiative is a new approach to the understanding of the evolution of periodic ventilation in insects. It involves researchers from four Australian universities, and will showcase the strength of Australian research and the diversity of the Australian insect fauna, and demonstrate the utility of the Australian environment as a model system for the study of fundamental biological problems. The research deals wi ....The evolution of periodic ventilation in insects. The primary outcome of this research initiative is a new approach to the understanding of the evolution of periodic ventilation in insects. It involves researchers from four Australian universities, and will showcase the strength of Australian research and the diversity of the Australian insect fauna, and demonstrate the utility of the Australian environment as a model system for the study of fundamental biological problems. The research deals with the influence of microclimate on the physiology of insects. This will lead to an appreciation of the ability of these species to respond to climate change.Read moreRead less
Understanding the molecular basis of marine invertebrate larval settlement and metamorphosis using complementary molecular, developmental, chemical and ecological approaches. The colonisation and fouling of submerged structures is a major economic problem for maritime industries. This proposal will detail the molecular mechanisms underlying the first crucial steps of marine invertebrate colonisation - settlement and metamorphosis - and determine how natural anti-foulant chemicals impact on these ....Understanding the molecular basis of marine invertebrate larval settlement and metamorphosis using complementary molecular, developmental, chemical and ecological approaches. The colonisation and fouling of submerged structures is a major economic problem for maritime industries. This proposal will detail the molecular mechanisms underlying the first crucial steps of marine invertebrate colonisation - settlement and metamorphosis - and determine how natural anti-foulant chemicals impact on these developmental processes. By using complementary developmental, molecular, chemical and ecological approaches, we will obtain knowledge of key control points in settlement and metamorphosis, and thus identify potential pest management strategies. This proposal comprehensively delineates the role of novel anti-foulants, linking their effect on invertebrate development with their role in shaping marine communities on natural and built surfaces.Read moreRead less
How do bees orchestrate smooth landings? The results should pave the way for the development of novel, biologically inspired strategies for the control of landing in unmanned aerial vehicles. Endowing aircraft with the capability of autonomous flight and landing has been a major challenge in engineering technology. There is now considerable interest, nationally and world wide, in the development of small, intelligent, autonomous airborne vehicles for application in a number of areas of defense, ....How do bees orchestrate smooth landings? The results should pave the way for the development of novel, biologically inspired strategies for the control of landing in unmanned aerial vehicles. Endowing aircraft with the capability of autonomous flight and landing has been a major challenge in engineering technology. There is now considerable interest, nationally and world wide, in the development of small, intelligent, autonomous airborne vehicles for application in a number of areas of defense, surveillance and space exploration. The proposed research will help Australia maintain a leading edge in uncovering important biological principles of flight control that can be translated into useful technological applications.Read moreRead less
Origins of Parasitism in the Psocodea (Insecta). The Psocodea has 2 groups: the lice and the psocopterans (the psocids and their kin). The lice are parasites whereas the psocopterans are free-living. The Psocodea are a unique model-system that will allow us to discover the processes that preadapt arthropods for parasitism and the processes that facilitate "explosive" radiations of arthropods once they become parasites. We will infer evolutionary trees for these insects from 3 genes. Then we ....Origins of Parasitism in the Psocodea (Insecta). The Psocodea has 2 groups: the lice and the psocopterans (the psocids and their kin). The lice are parasites whereas the psocopterans are free-living. The Psocodea are a unique model-system that will allow us to discover the processes that preadapt arthropods for parasitism and the processes that facilitate "explosive" radiations of arthropods once they become parasites. We will infer evolutionary trees for these insects from 3 genes. Then we will use these trees to track the evolution of feeding, attachment, senses and reproduction through evolutionary time. Our work should provide unprecedented insight into the evolution of parasitism in the arthropods.Read moreRead less
Assessing gene function in the developing vertebrate brain using zebrafish as a model system. Although the vertebrate brain is the most complicated biological tissue it arises from a very simple sheet of cells during embryogenesis. Groups of nerve cells begin to communicate with each other through long interconnecting processes called axons. This project seeks to understand the role of specific genes in this process. This is the first time that the mechanisms controlling the growth of the ear ....Assessing gene function in the developing vertebrate brain using zebrafish as a model system. Although the vertebrate brain is the most complicated biological tissue it arises from a very simple sheet of cells during embryogenesis. Groups of nerve cells begin to communicate with each other through long interconnecting processes called axons. This project seeks to understand the role of specific genes in this process. This is the first time that the mechanisms controlling the growth of the earliest axons in the vertebrate brain will be examined in a living brain. Our analysis is expected to discover genes that are targets for manipulation of axon growth.Read moreRead less
FATIGUE IN VERTEBRATE TENDONS: BIOMECHANICAL AND STRUCTURAL CORRELATES OF ONTOGENETIC AND ADAPTIVE CHANGE. Tendons are important vertebrate tissues, but little is known about their mechanical properties under fatigue-loading. Recent research has shown that dramatic differences in fatigue properties occur and that these appear to be linked to the functional roles of tendons. This project uses a variety of approaches to explore how mechanical and structural properties of tendons change during g ....FATIGUE IN VERTEBRATE TENDONS: BIOMECHANICAL AND STRUCTURAL CORRELATES OF ONTOGENETIC AND ADAPTIVE CHANGE. Tendons are important vertebrate tissues, but little is known about their mechanical properties under fatigue-loading. Recent research has shown that dramatic differences in fatigue properties occur and that these appear to be linked to the functional roles of tendons. This project uses a variety of approaches to explore how mechanical and structural properties of tendons change during growth, maturation and adaptation to different loading environments, and the cellular basis of fatigue resistance. An understanding of fatigue properties from cellular to tissue levels has significance in the areas of general biology, materials science and biomedical science.Read moreRead less